"The Skin I'm In" reflection

The Skin I'm In

Flake, S. (1998). The skin I'm in. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

The Skin I’m In is a narrative written from the perspective of Maleeka, a thirteen year old with very low self-esteem. She attends an urban, rough middle school where most of the students are more concerned with smoking in the bathrooms and partying than with school work. Maleeka is dragged down by a so-called “friend” named Char. Maleeka is so embarrassed by her dark skin and mangy clothes (sewn together by her mother) she allows Char to treat her terribly. Maleeka does her homework and follows Char in all of her schemes, just so she will loan her some decent looking clothes to wear. Everyone in school bullies Maleeka, especially a boy named John-John, who has made up a jingle about how black Maleeka’s skin is. Things start to change when a new teacher, Miss. Saunders, a former corporate business woman, begins teaching Maleeka’s English class.  Miss. Saunders has a large white birthmark on her face, but has not let that stop her from being successful. She see Maleeka’s potential, and tries to bring her under wing, but Maleeka is resistant from the beginning. She continues focusing on being accepted by her peers, following Char in the hopes she’ll throw her a bone, and getting into trouble. Finally, at the very end of the book, Maleeka gets into much more trouble than she ever anticipated. She finally stands up for herself against Char and begins to take her education and herself more seriously.

            Honestly, I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed seeing the world through Maleeka’s eyes, I almost felt as if I were in her shoes. However, this book really lacked much of a plot. Flake spent the first three-fourths of the book describing characters and several little events that weren’t really tied together. There was no real build up, or anything to keep you reading. Finally, there was somewhat of a climax when Maleeka gets blamed for Char’s grand idea, yet again, and she finally stands up for herself. But suddenly, the book is over. It was just somewhat, disappointing.

            There was definitely a lot of conflict in this book. Maleeka was conflicting with herself (person-against-self) as well as with her peers (person-against-person), especially Char. Maleeka is constantly feeling down on herself and that she is not good enough to do anything. Even when her new teacher, Ms. Saunders, tries to give her some confidence in what a wonderful writer she is, Maleeka is too insecure to accept it. Some of the words used in this book are different than in traditional literature. However, I found them very appropriate for the context. I have spent over three years working with low-income, urban children and I could almost hear some of the things Maleeka and her peers say coming out of the mouth of my students. For example, on page 27 when Desda asks Maleeka why she doesn’t speak proper English she answers, “Don’t nobody talk like that for real, only people in old movies and books.” This really hit home for me, because many of my students really don’t hear anyone speak proper English. This makes it even more important for me to concentrate on what I say and how I say things because it makes such an impact. 

"The Talking Eggs" Multicultural/Traditional Reflection

The Talking Eggs  by Robert D. San Souci

San, S. R. D. (1989). The talking eggs: A folktale from the American South. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.






"The Talking Eggs" is a multicultural tale based upon a Creole folktale. It also has a traditional feel of a version of a Cinderella story. Young Blanche is treated terribly by her evil mother and sister, but remains kind and sweet. When she comes across a strange old woman in the woods who needs a drink of water, Blanche doesn't hesitate to share her water with her. Because the old woman saw how kind-hearted she was she came to find her in the woods again. The old woman took her back to her home, but asked her not to laugh at anything she saw. Blanche went with the old woman and never laughed, even though some of the things she saw were rather strange (a cow with two heads and colorful chickens who sang like mockingbirds.) She continues to be kind and respectful to the old woman, even when she pulls her head off! She does everything the old woman asks her to do without complaining. Before she leaves the old woman told Blanche to go to the chicken house to get some eggs to take home with her. She says only take the ones that say "take me", which turn out to be the plain looking eggs while others have gold, silver, and jewels on them. Being honest as Blanche is she only takes the plain eggs, even thought she really wants the others. However, as she is walking home she throws the eggs over her should just as she was told. Every last eggs turns into something valuable! She is so excited to bring her new found treasures home to her mother and sister.

Once Blanche gets home her mother schemes a plan to send her evil sister, Rose to find the old woman and get some of these talking eggs. However, Rose was not sweet and kind, but rather rude and sharp-tongued. She laughs at the animals and complains about every chore the old woman asks her to do. When she goes to the chicken coop she immediately grabs the eggs that said "don't take me". While Rose is on her way home she threw the eggs behind her which created a group of angry, dangerous animals that followed her and her mother all the way into the woods. Meanwhile, Blanche takes her treasures and moves to the city, where she lives like a grand lady but remains as kind and generous as always. 

I thought this story was a twist on the traditional Cinderella tale because of the mean, evil mother and sister as well as the sweet, skin, selfless protagonist, Blanche. Her personality was very evident in the way she spoke to the old woman and did everything she asked with courtesy and respect. She was a hard worker just as Cinderella was, and in the end her hard work and sweet personality paid off.  

This story would be great to teach theme, as the lesson in this story is very clear. When you treat others well and are sweet and kind, good things happen. I would also use it for character analysis, Blanche and Rose are so different. There are also many different actions the girls do in the story that students could use as evidence for how they describe each character. You could use this story to compare and contrast the two characters, Rose and Blanch. Or a challenging activity would be to have students compare this story to a more traditional version of Cinderella. There are several similarities and differences between the two stories. 

The Hunger Games- relfection

The Hunger Games

Genre: modern fantasy

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.

Of course I've heard of people talk about The Hunger Games, but I never really understood the scenario and the movie trailers didn't really look like "my kind of movie". I've never been a big fan of action and violence, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. But since everyone has talked about it, and I saw it on the list for modern fantasy, I figured I'd give it a shot. Now I am so glad I did!

The Hunger Games is a modern fantasy that is written from the first person point of view of a young girl named Katniss. She lives in a war-torn nation named Panem. Panem is divided into twelve districts and the Capitol. The Capitol controls all all the districts with overly strict laws, lack of necessities, and fear. In Katniss' district, District 12, the majority of families are poor, malnourished, and struggle to stay alive. Katniss' life is particularly difficult since her father passed away in a coal-mining (District 12's specialty) accident several years earlier. Collins immediately captures you with her wonderful writing. As soon as I finished the first chapter, I had to read the second. I had to find out what this "reaping" was and I really wanted to understand The Hunger Games.

The reaping is a day, once a year, where the Capitol sends an escort to each District to retrieve one boy and one girl, ages 13-18, to compete in a glorified death match called The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are treated as a sporting event in the Capitol, with people cheering, betting, and sponsoring competitors in the Games. However, the Games are really no game at all. Children are forced to kill or be killed in the arena. Only one winner remains in the end.

When Katniss' younger sister, Prim, gets drawn to enter The Hunger Games, Katniss has no choice but to volunteer herself as tribute. Only one person makes it out of The Hunger Games alive and District 12 has only had one victor in the history of The Hunger Games. There is very little hope for District 12 to have a winner but Katniss goes in confident and willing to do whatever it takes to get back to her sister, Prim, and mother. 

Katniss is portrayed as the protagonist throughout the story. You can't help but pull for her throughout the games, but she is far from perfect. She sometimes says things she shouldn't and doesn't always make the best decisions while in the arena. Collins' writing keeps you turning pages to find out what happens to Katniss as well as other beloved characters we meet a long the way, including Peeta, Rue, and even Haymitch. The characterization in this book really makes you feel like you are there and know each character personally. You are continually learning more about the characters as if layers are being pulled back. 

After reading the first installment in The Hunger Games trilogy I will definitely be completing the set. I would recommend this book to anyone 12 or older. Although this book is fairly violent, it is not gory, and I think mature middle-school students would be able to handle it. This would be a wonderful book to have students put themselves in the main characters shoes and learn about understanding the character's opinion versus their own. If I were to teach this novel in a middle or high school setting I would have students choose a character and create a journal or diary from that character's perspective. Students can describe the character's feelings and empathize while using details from the book. 

"Smoky Night" Reflection

Smoky Night

Bunting, E., Diaz, D. (1994). Smoky night. San Diego: Harcourt Brace.

Genre: picture book, fiction-realistic fiction

In this somber story, a young boy and his mother are living in a rough neighborhood. They hear loud noises coming from the streets, which the mother explains is the sound of people rioting. The young boy doesn't understand why the people are angry and why they are destroying the businesses and cars around their home. It is revealed during the riot that Daniel's mother does not get along with a neighbor in their building named Ms. Kim, The boy and his mother think the worst is over when they go to bed. However, the worst is just beginning. Their building is on fire! Daniel and his mother have to get out of the apartment, but he can't find his beloved cat, Jasmine. Everyone is rushing out of the building and head to a shelter to have somewhere to sleep. A neighbor tells Daniel he thinks he saw Jasmine get away. Suddenly, a firefighter shows up with Jasmine and another cat under his arms! Daniel is so excited to see that his cat his safe, and finds out the other cat belongs to Ms. Kim. Daniel and his mother find out that the cats kept each other safe in the fire, which sheds light on the neighbors' relationship. If their cats can get along, maybe they should be friends after all. 

This is the third Eve Bunting book I've read recently ("The Wednesday Surprise" and "Train to Somewhere"). All three books are very realistic and relatable. The tone in all three books is very similar, however I see the most similarities between this story, "Smoky Night", and "Train to Somewhere". They both have a sad, somber tone and deal with realistic life events. Both stories also  have an uplifting ending. It may not be exactly considered a "happy" ending, but both stories finish better than they could. For example, Daniel and his mother will still have to deal with the fire damage, but at least they made a new friend who was formerly an enemy. In "Train to Somewhere" Marianne is hoping to find her mother at one of the train stops. She never finds her mother, but she does get adopted by a nice couple. 

The illustrations in "Smoky Night" were very different than the other two Bunting books, in fact they were very different than any other picture book I can think of. The illustrator, David Diaz, uses cool colors and dark tones throughout the story. The illustrations also have an abstract look to them. Although you can tell what the illustrations are, they are very far from being realistic. They have very hard, straight lines and shapes. Some pages look as if they are a collage of various materials that would be found in the story. It looks as if you were able to feel the illustrations they would include various textures. 

I would use this story as a lesson on making connections with my students. Many students in my class can connect and empathize with Daniel and feeling scared at times in their own home. Also, this story teaches a good lesson in not "judging a book by it's cover". Daniel's mother did not want to befriend Ms. Kim because she was not their kind, but in the end they learned to get along. 

"The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf" Reflection

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf

Scieszka, J., & Smith, L. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Viking Kestrel.

genre: picture book, fiction-fractured fairy tale

In this "true story" Mr. Alexander T. Wolf gives his side to the famous story of The Three Little Pigs. This entertaining story is told as if Mr. Wolf is being questioned by a reporter. Mr. Wolf swears he didn't mean any harm to these little pigs, he just had a terrible head cold! The cold was causing Mr. Wolf to sneeze, but he really needed some sugar for his dear old granny's birthday cake. That terrible cold caused him to have some terrible sneezes, two of which knocked down the pigs' homes! He's a wolf, so what could he do? There's a perfectly good pig laying there in the remnants of their home, he couldn't just let it go to waste. So of course, he ate the first two pigs. Then when he got to the third pig's home, it was made of brick. He knocked on the door because he still needed that cup of sugar! That mean old pig said to him "I hope your old granny sits on a pin". Well this did not sit well with Mr. Wolf, so he started trying to bang the door down. This is the site the police saw when they came up, and thus was born The Big Bad Wolf.

I absolutely loved this story! What a fun way to retell a traditional tale that has been told thousands of times. This would be a wonderful story to use when teaching the reading concepts point of view as well as comparing and contrasting. I know my students really struggle with understanding what point of view is and how to find out who's point of view the story is being told from. This is a great example to use that is very clear! You could also compare and contrast "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" to the traditional storybook "The Three Little Pigs".

The illustrations in this book really add to the story. Mr. Wolf is depicted as smart, professional, and classy. Not the kind of character you would call big and bad! I would say the illustrations are expressionistic, meant to provoke emotion, not based on reality. They really make you understand how the wolf was feeling. The cool, neutral colors also add to the sort of sad tone of Mr. Wolf's narration. 

Although Mr. Wolf was being quite serious, this book can't help but make you laugh. Who would've thought, maybe the wolf isn't so big and bad after all?

"So You Want to Be President?" Reflection

So You Want to Be President?

St, G. J., & Small, D. (2000). So you want to be president?. New York: Philomel Books.

Genre: picture book, non-fiction/informational- social science

"Sou You Want to Be President" is a Caldecott Award winning informational book that presents it's information in a different way. Although it is giving several facts about the first 42 presidents, it is written in a fun and light way. St. George and Fall give details about the presidents, Washington to Clinton. St. George gives various facts including presidential size, where they were born, their favorite hobbies, previous professions, even their level of education. The facts are presented in a more interesting way than your usual informational book, perfect for kids! Although this book is completely factual, the humor makes it a very fun read!

David Small's illustrations really make this book fun. He uses cartoon art, more specifically,caricatures, of the presidents to give the book a lighthearted feel. The broken lines give the pictures almost a silly feeling. I also enjoyed his use of color, the warm tones and bright colors add interest. The illustrations are also funny! You see multiple presidents climbing and helping each other in a tree on page 23 when learning about how many presidents have been related. You even see a very large illustration of Taft being lowered into a giant bathtub using a crane on page 17! This was to inform the reader that presidents come in all shapes and sizes. For every quirky, interesting fact written in the book, Small has an equally quirky and entertaining illustration to go along with it!

I think this book is a wonderful read-aloud for any elementary student, but especially K-3. What better way to learn about our presidents, than in a cute, funny picture book? Students would love to quirky and silly facts, as well as be able to make connections between the presidents and themselves! This book really shows the "human" side of our presidents and I think students would love that.

I will definitely be reading this book on President's Day from now on!

"Officer Buckle and Gloria" Reflection

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Rathman, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc.

Genre: picture book, fiction

In this lighthearted story book, Officer Buckle is a local police officer who goes around to schools sharing safety tips. Although his tips were important, very few students and teachers actually listened to his speeches. This was until he found his new police dog, Gloria. Gloria was a crowd favorite during Officer Buckle's speeches, doing jumps and flips during the speech. Suddenly, Officer Buckle was very popular! Every school, daycare through college, wanted Officer Buckle to come share his safety tips with them. Officer Buckle didn't realize why he go the sudden fame until he watched one of his speeches on the local news. He realize no one was really watching him, all they wanted to see was Gloria! When the two buddies tried to separate it didn't work out for either of them. In the end, Officer Buckle and Gloria continued working as a team and safety was restore to the town.

This story would be wonderful for anyone ages 4-10. All kids love a silly story, and this one even has the benefit of teaching some safety tips as well! It also has an underlying theme of teamwork. When Officer Buckle and Gloria worked as a team everyone was entertained AND they were safe! When the pair tried to go their separate ways, neither of them could get the job done alone. This also led to his final rule, "Safety Tip 101: Always Stick With Your Buddy" (pg. 30).

This story would be a great read aloud to use when teaching about theme, friendship, safety, or friendship (depending on the grade level). Here are some various reading response questions that could be used in different grades:

1. Why did Officer Buckle go around to different schools? (K-1)
2. What made the kids start listening to Officer Buckle's speeches once Gloria started coming along? (1-2)
3. Describe Gloria, what kind of dog was she? Use examples from the story to support your answer. (2-4)
4. What is the theme (lesson) that Officer Buckle and Gloria teaches? Use examples from the story to support your answer. (3-4)

"Train to Somewhere" Reflection

Train to Somewhere 

Bunting, E. (1996). Train to Somewhere. New York: Clarion Books.

Genre: picture books, historical fiction

Train to Somewhere is a picture book unlike any other. This sad story begins with the main character Marianne and thirteen other orphan children boarding a train in hopes of finding a new family. Marianne is an older child who believes her mother will be waiting for her in one of the towns the train stops in. The chronological plot goes on as many of the younger, cuter, stronger, or funnier children get chosen by families looking to adopt. Bunting uses flashback to show the day when Marianne was dropped off at the orphanage by her mother.  She tells her she is moving west to make a better life for them and that she will come back before Christmas. Marianne states that it has been many Christmases since that day, and her mother has never come back for her. She still has hope that she will be waiting for her at one of the train stops. 

This is a very somber, touching story that reminds me how much adversity many children are put through, even today. However, this could be a wonderful learning experience and empathy lesson for children eight or older. Unfortunately, I have children in my class whom could relate to that feeling of having a parent leave and tell them they will come back soon, to never see them again, or see them very rarely. For those who cannot relate, this story would give them a chance to try and put themselves in someone else's shoes and think about what it would feel like to not have a home where you belong. 

I believe this would be a good story for intermediate (3-6) grades, as it is too mature for primary. There are many discussion questions that could be formed from this story:

1. Describe how Marianne was feeling at the beginning of the story. How do you think she felt about herself? What was her self-image like?

2. Train to Somewhere takes places in the mid 1850s, what details from the story show you this?

3. Imagine you were riding on this train. What would you be thinking? How would you feel as other children were getting chosen by families and you were not?

Introduction- Katie Puckett

Hello everyone! My name is Katie Puckett and I am in the Reading and Writing MaED program here at UC! I have been teaching third grade at McFerran Elementary in Louisville for just over three years. My school is part of JCPS, is very diverse, and has a high (> 85%) percentage free and reduced lunch population. Some days are difficult, but overall I really love my school and students!

I am also married to my high school sweetheart, we've been married five years this summer. We have a wonderful little boy, Carter, who is 16 months old. He is my world and I can't imagine my life without him!

Right now my free time is very limited. Teaching full time, taking two classes, and having a little one doesn't leave much time for anything else! But when I do have free time I love to watch sports (Louisville in particular :) ) and movies. I also love to read, which is one of the reason I chose to take this class! I am excited to broaden my knowledge of children's and young adult literature.I love spring and summer so we can get outside and play or go to the pool.

That's a little bit about me, thanks for reading!